Monday, July 10, 2017

Episode #036:

JASON CAGE, Mix 96.5/HoustonSerious FUN = Serious Success!

Admittedly, radio isn’t always fun. But Jason Cage proves that a big part of it is how you deal with situations that come your way. And for him, more often than not, that’s been FUN!

After exiting CBS Radio at the end of 2016 when CHR “96.5 Amp Radio” WZMP Philadelphia changed formats, Jason rejoined the company to host afternoon drive at Adult CHR Mix 96.5/KHMX Houston.

From his hometown station in Huntsville, AL, to Chicago (B96-FM), to Philly, and now Houston, Jason has learned the secret to having fun along the way, and sharing it with his audience. All while maintaining some semblance of family life (as you'll hear!)

Not only is he a prominent major market host, but Jason has also been a devotee to all aspects of online engagement, too. (Please see links below).

In this episode, he offers tips on getting to know a new market and the realities of working every virtually every daypart.

He also shares some compelling advice for those who’d like to follow in his footsteps along with things he knows NOW that he WISHES he’d known ‘back then’.

To give yourself the best chance of achieving success you need a plan. Having a plan not only improves your odds it also provides focus. Here’s a popular framework which you can use to create a solid plan. SMART is an mnemonic acronym for the framework.

S – Specific

M – Measurable

A – Achievable

R – Relevant

T – Time-bound

Putting your plan in writing is an important part of the process. Behavioral scientists involved in the study of cognition have proven there are real and significant advantages in putting your thoughts in writing.

Keep in mind, planning is a process not an event. All plans become obsolete when they meet the real world. Effective plans are “live” - informed by real-time feedback, study and reflection. The most productive plans are fine-tuned, changed up, adjusted as circumstances demand and opportunities present.

I’m not a fan of having a plan B. Having a killer plan A and tweaking it as needed has delivered the goods for the teams I’ve played on.

Beware: don’t confuse activity with progress. It’s very important to measure impact. Activity which is not measured can be a resource and time wasting trap.

In my experience, every successful plan includes serious consideration of contingencies. After you’ve developed your plan ask “What could go wrong?” Next, develop your responses. If X happens our best options are Y and Z. The $100 name for this is scenario planning. No matter what you call it – it works. You want to think through issues and responses before you become influenced by the emotions usually present in the moment things go wrong.